VOL. XII NO. 13 — MAY 14, 2013

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VOL. XII NO. 13 MAY 14, 2013450thISS

UE

GODS CURSES

Why soSevere?

ErringAngels?

When GentilesSee the Truth

A Purpose ofProphetic Images

First Borns & Charity:the First Cause

Shavuots DualIdentity

Shavuot: A MountainOver Their heads?

Was Isaac sacrificedor was it all a vision?

Hallel: Part II

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C O N T E N T S

Erring AngelsSarah views Hagar's son Ishmael as an improper influence

on her son Isaac. She relates this to Abraham, and Godsupports Sarah's view that Hagar and Ishmael should leave.

God tells Abraham to follow Sarah's counsel.Abraham sends away Hagar and her son Ishmael. Ishmael

cries out of thirst once the water was consumed. The angelssaid to God that Ishmael should be allowed to die of thirst,since his future descendant Nevuchadnezzar would hold

water from the Jews. Based on Ishmael's current righteostate, God accuses the angels for saying Ishmael should

allowed to die of thirst. God says Ishmael must not pay a prdue to the sins of his future descendants. A man is to judged as he is at present, ba'ashare hu sham (Gen. 24:17

The threat Ishmael will cause in the future is mitigated

e Jewsihtimes is

blished every Fridayd delivered by email.bscriptions are FREE.subscribe, send any

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es may be reprinted without consent of theshTimes or the authors, provided the content

altered, and credits are given.

eekly Journal on Jewish Thought

3Thoughts/Letters RABBI MOSHE BEN-CHAIM

The Rabbi shares some recent

thoughts on a number of variedtopics and answers a readers letter.

4Why So Severe?RABBI MOSHE BEN-CHAIM

An answer to why the Torah is so

severe when it comes to Gods curses

found in Bechukosai.

9 Shavuos RABBI BERNIE FOX

What is the dual identity of this

Shavuos holiday? Rabbi Fox shareshis insights.

13Shavuos RABBI REUVEN MANN

Rabbi Mann explains the Rabbis

words, a mountain suspended over

the Jews. What is the lesson behind

this metaphor about Sinai?

18Hallel: Part II RABBI DR. DARRELL GINSBERG

Rabbi Ginsberg continues his new

series on Hallel, offering a freshunderstanding of King Davids

words.

THOUGHTS

WWW.MESORA.ORG/JEWISHTIMES MAY 14, 2013 |

(continued on page

RABBI MOSHE BEN-CHAIM

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(continued on next p

How do we respond to this sentiment above?

such a complaint justified?

Why didn't minds lightyears ahead of ours ev

suggest these curses were not God's word

Moses, Kings David and Solomon, Maimonid

Radak, Rashi, and countless others of formida

intellectual stature accepted the entire Torah

God's word. Let us consider what motivated t

acceptance.

GODS CURSES

Why soSevere?

Did God really write all thescurses found in Bechukosai

I don't think so, theyre too harshI don't do well with the Behave or I

kill you approach. Anonymou

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim

IN REVIEWBECHUKOS

4 | WWW.MESORA.ORG/JEWISHTIMES MAY 14, 2013

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What is unjust?

Had God not created food, this would be

unjust, since he made our lives food-

dependent. But as food exists, we would be

unjustified to complain to God, if we became

ill due to laziness and did not eat of it. As

Creator, He makes a being as He sees most

benefits that being. Food dependency

directs our minds and hearts to thank theCreator for our lives and the means to

sustain it. We are thereby constantly

directed to God's existence. God is to be

mankind's focus, explaining why we alone

possess the faculty of intelligence essential

to appreciating the Creator and His wisdom.

Requiring our daily bread, we are ever-

aware of God, the Creator of all food.

If, however, we were totally independent,

me might lose sight of the Creator, as did

Adam and Eve. They did not need to toil forfood. All was readily available. And they

rejected God's command not to eat of one

tree's fruit. Their freedom from any need to

work allowed their abundant unused

energies to become attached to their

(continued on page 7)

God desires toavert us from theloss of our eternlife. He wishesthat we eachenjoy Olam HabaIf we set out on apath that will forfeit Olam Haba, i

is beneficial thatHe dissuades usfrom such a path

instincts, and reject God. God then punished

Adam, making him toil for his bread (Gen.

3:19). As Rabbi Bachya, author of Duties of

the Heart states, this engagement in labor

redirects much energy away from the

instincts, preventing future sin. We realize

the necessity and benefit in such toil, to

address Adam's sin, and protect us who are

made in Adam's design. Therefore anycomplaint by one who is lazy and starves, is

not a justified complaint. For food is both

available, and attainable, and labor is a good

for us.

Similarly, God created man with an

intellect, and the means to satisfy it. We are

most fulfilled when when our minds are

engaged and we witness wisdom in the

universe and in the Torah. And if we follow

the Torah's morality, societies run smoothly

with perfectly just and charitable lawsgoverning all human interaction. But this is

only for our Earthly stay. Living according to

Torah, God grants eternal life to ours souls.

An amazing gift, and His ultimate plan for

each one of us. How do the curses fit in?

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REVIEWS

RELIGIONofREASONRELIGIONofREASONRELIGIONofREASON

AstrologyReincarnationPraying to the Dead

SuperstitionDemonsBashertEvil EyeRebbe WorshipSegulasSatanAngelsWestern Wall Prayers

Red BendelsKabbalaMysticism

MiraclesWhat is God?Jewish SoulsTalmudic StoriMetaphorsBelief vs. ProofDo Rabbis Err?Gentile EqualitMans Purpose

PARTIAL CHAPTER LIST

RABBI REUVEN MANN Rabbi, Y. Israel of PhoenixRabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim has written extensively on Jewishphilosophy for many years. His ideas are rooted in a rationalapproach. He follows the great philosophers like Rambam andSaadia Gaon. He is opposed to all forms of mysticism and seeksto debunk all practices and beliefs which are rooted in superstitionand contrary to reason. This work covers a wide variety of topics, of

interest to contemporary; insightful analyses of Biblical narratives as well as thesignificance of many mitzvot. Rabbi Ben-Chaim demonstrates that Judaism canbe harmonized with human reason. He is not afraid to ask the most penetratingand challenging questions as he is convinced that Torah is the Word of God andbased on the highest form of wisdom. Jews who have a profound desire to makesense out of their religion will benefit greatly from reading this book.

RABBI STEVEN WEIL Executive Vice President, The Orthodox UnionRabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim asks critical, crucial and defining ques-tions that any thinking Jew needs to ask. His method enables thereader to explore and engage our theology in a meaningful andserious way. Following the Rishonim, he forces us to define, weighand analyze each phrase of chazal, showing there is no contradic-

tion between an investigation of Science and an investigation ofJudaism. Rabbi Ben-Chaim has written a work that addresses the thinking personof all faiths. This work speaks to the scholar and lay person alike and will helpyou gain insight into how the great Rishonim define how we view the world.Rabbi Ben-Chaims website, Mesora.org is a very serious tool and resource forthinking human beings who want to engage and explore the Almighty, theAlmightys universe and do so within the realm of wisdom, rationality andintellectual honesty.

by JewishTimes publisherRabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim

Is Torah mysticalor rational, just likeGods natural laws?Its time a book unveiled the truth.Is Torah a set of incomprehensible mystical beliefs, as kabbalistssuggestor perfectly reasonable and brilliantly insightful?Finally learn directly from Torah texts and our greatest Rabbis,precisely why mysticism is false, not Torah, and not Gods will.Religion of Reason unveils widespread Jewish mystical beliefsas false, and prohibited. Torah is presented in its rational andprovable naturejust like Gods natural laws. There are nopowers besides God, and He prohibits belief in mysticism.

Cryptic Talmudic stories are explained metaphorically offeringastonishing insights as intended, and beautiful insights into manyParshas are revealed. Finally, Jews can understand the falsehoodsthey have accepted, and abandon them in place of true Torah.

Free 33-pg Preview:https://www.Mesora.org/ReligionofReason

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We are bound to follow the Torah, or

receive pain in another manner, akin to the

pain of starving, and even worse. God

desires our greatest good. He desires to

avert us from the loss of our eternal life. He

wishes that we each enjoy Olam Haba. If we

set out on a path that will forfeit Olam Haba,

it is beneficial that He dissuades us from

such a path. And since man instinctuallycleaves to his ways, only a harsh threat will

work to stop him in his path. Man follows his

emotions, so God uses emotions fear and

pain to redirect us when we sin.

This explains the severity of the curses.

For if our punishments are not severe, they

might be viewed as natural occurrences,

keri (Lev. 26:23), we will not view them as

divine warnings and we will not improve our

ways. The severity of God's punishments,

which increases when we dismiss them as

natural events, intends to reveal the truth of

God's Torah warnings. Leviticus 26:43

explains the cause of the curses; it is our

abhorrence of God's commands. We viewed

a great benefit Torah wrongly. God

intends to correct us.

The nations of the world too will benefit

through our devastating punishments. For

they will say it is our sins that God is punish-

ing. (Deut. 29:23-26) However, if we suffer

naturally through less devastating

measures, our pain will not be viewed as

divine, God's word appears unfulfilled, and

His fame does not reach all humans, as is Hiswill. For the Jew is not God's only creation. In

fact, we are to serve the other nations by

teaching them. And when they follow God,

they share the same good that we share.

In fact, one is in a contradiction if he holds

that God's punishments are too harsh. For

any sane person would agree that murder-

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ers must receive the death penalty. No one

wants himself or his child to be the next

victim. However, this acceptance of the

harshest measure death for murderers,

questions why death should not meet with

Torah deniers. Why should we condone

death for murderers, but not for those who

deny the Torah, or who violate it's tenets?

Most of us overestimate our physicalexistence. We don't view the soul as more

important, so we think Torah infractions are

not as evil as murder. However, the Rabbis

equated Lashon Hara to murder. The reason

being that a corrupt soul renders one equally

unfit for Olam Haba. One who constantly

engages in Lashon Hara, forfeits his Olam

Haba. If on the other hand, we recognized

the truth, that our soul can enjoy an eternity,

we would value that over our physical lives.

We would not say that God is too harsh by

trying to redirect our sinful ways back

towards Torah, which earns us eternal life.

We would welcome such corrective

measures, for all pain here is temporary. An

eternal life is worth it.

Having said that, who could be worse than

one who denies anything written in Torah,

saying it is not God's authorship? Such

denial also forces others off the path of truth,

making them discount the truth of Torah. And

when calamity befalls them, they too will not

heed it as God's punishments, to help return

them to the truth. One who denies anything

in Torah harms not only himself, but others,and he forfeits his Olam Haba. (Tal. Sanhe-

drin 90a, Mishnah)

We can now appreciate why Moses,

Kings David and Solomon, Maimonides,

Radak, Rashi, and countless others

accepted the entire Torah, viewing it as a

just system, including the curses.

Any sane personwould agree:

murderers mustreceive death.

No one wants hischild to be next.So why isnt the soul

more vital than ourEarthly lives?

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sion of Shavuot. In these passages, Shavuotis described as the festival upon which anew grain offering is brought. This is areference to a unique sacrifice offered onShavuot. It is comprised of two loaves ofleavened bread baked from fine wheatflour. This flour was milled from the wheat

of the new harvest. This meal offering andthe Omer meal offering of Pesach togetherexpress our acknowledgement that thelife-sustaining bounty of the new harvest isa manifestation of Hashems chesed kindness. The characterization of Shavuotas a harvest festival is even more explicit inthe second set of passages. In thesepassages, Shavuot is referred to as the

Festival of the Harvest.The question raised by the Torahs

descriptions of Shavuot is obvious. Whydoes the Torah not describe Shavuot as thecelebration of Revelation?

And He said: Certainly I will be with you.And this shall be the token unto you that I have

sent you. When you have brought forth thepeople out of Egypt, you shall serve G-d upon this

mountain. (Sefer Shemot 3:12)

2. THE STRANGE ORDER IN WHICHTHE NARRATIVE OF REVELATION ISPRESENTED

Although the Torah provides a historicalrecord of the development of Bnai Yisrael,its account does not follow a strict chrono-logical order. Sometimes the Torah departsfrom a chronological presentation of eventsin order to preserve the continuity of itsnarrative. In other instances, strictchronology is abandoned in order to

juxtapose events or themes and thereby,communicate a message. In other words,the coherence, the continuity of the presen-

tation, and other considerations take prece-dence over strict adherence to chronology.

Based upon this principle, the content ofthe chapters of the Torahs narrativeleading-up to the Sinai Revelation issurprising. Hashem explained to Moshe at

their first encounter at the seneh theburning bush that Bnai Yisrael would beredeemed from Egypt in order to be

brought to Sinai and there receive theTorah. Given that this was the statedobjective of the nations redemption, itfollows that after the Torahs narrative ofthe exodus is completed, the narrativeshould proceed with a description ofRevelation. However, the Torah concludesits account of Bnai Yisraels escape fromEgypt with its description of the destruc-tion of Paroh and his legions at the ReedSea and Bnai Yisraels song of praise to

Hashem. The narrative then describes anumber of events that occurred during theinterim between the nations redemptionand Revelation. The only apparent justifi-cation for the insertion at this point of theseevents into the narrative is the preservationof a proper chronology. However, as

explained above, this is a poor justification.

And the people murmured against Moshe,saying: What shall we drink?

(Sefer Shemot 15:24)

Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in

Rephidim. (Sefer Shemot 17:8)

And Yitro, the priest of Midyan, Moshe'sfather-in-law, heard of all that G-d had done forMoshe, and for Israel His people, how Hashem

had brought Israel out of Egypt.(Sefer Shemot 18:1)

3. BNAI YISRAELS COMPLAINTS,AMALEK, AND YITRO THEIR PLACEWITHIN THE TORAHS NARRATIVE

The intervening material can be divided

into three distinct sections. The first section

records a number of occasion upon which

the people complained about their lack of

adequate provisions. This section culmi-

nates with a flock of quail descending upon

the camp which provide the people with

meat and the initiation of the falling of the

mun the manna. The mun continued to

fall and to sustain the people throughout

their travels in the wilderness.

(continued on next page)

SHAVUOTS

DUALIDENTITY

Rabbi Bernie Fox

You shall bring out of your dwellings twowave-loaves of two tenth parts of an ephah.

They shall be of fine flour. They shall be bakedwith leaven, for first-fruits unto Hashem.

(Sefer VaYikra 23:17)

And the Festival of the Harvest, thefirst-fruits of your labors, which you sow in thefield; and the Festival of the Ingathering, at theend of the year, when you gather in your labors

out of the field. (Sefer Shemot 23:16)

1. SHAVUOT IS DESCRIBED IN THETORAH AS A HARVEST FESTIVAL

According to tradition, the Torah was

received by Bnai Yisrael on the sixth day ofSivan. Shavuot is observed on the anniver-sary of the Sinai Revelation. In the liturgy

for Shavuot, it is described as the time ofthe giving of the Torah. However, theChumash never explicitly associatesShavuot with Revelation. Instead, theTorah consistently describes Shavuot as aharvest festival. The above passagesprovide two examples. The first passage isfound in the Torahs most extensive discus-

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The next section describes Amaleks

unprovoked attack of Bnai Yisrael. This

section concludes by describing the defeat

of Amalek and Hashems pledge to utterly

destroy this wicked adversary.

The final section describes the arrival of

Yitro Moshes father-in-law. Yitro has

heard of the wonders that Bnai Yisrael hasexperienced. He wishes to hear more

about these wonders from those who

experienced and witnessed them. After

hearing these accounts, Yitro recognizes

and praises Hashem. This section

concludes with an account of the introduc-

tion of nations first judicial system. This

system was designed by Yitro and imple-

mented by Moshe. The placement of this

final section in this point in the narrative is

the most difficult to explain. Rashi

suggests that this section is not even in its

proper chronological place. He explains

that a careful analysis of the text suggeststhat Yitro arrived after Revelation.1 The

placement of this section in this point of

the narrative certainly requires explana-

tion.

Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik Ztl suggests

an important explanation for the insertion

at this point in the narrative of these final

two sections. The following is based upon

his explanation. However, it expands upon

the insight of Rav Soloveitchik and is not

intended as a precise record of his

thoughts.

And Hashem said to Moshe: I come unto

you in a thick cloud, that the people may hearwhen I speak with you, and may also believeyou forever. And Moses told the words of the

people unto Hashem. (Sefer Shemot 19:9)

4. THE REVOLUTION OF REVELATION

Rav Soloveitchik suggests that these two

incidents are intended as an introduction

to the Torahs account of Revelation. The

ideas presented in the Torah were not only

revolutionary in their content. They were

also delivered in a novel manner. Prior to

Revelation, ones choice of religion was

completely subjective. Humanitys varied

religions were the inventions of theirworshipers. This led to the plethora of idols

and deities. Of course, Avraham, his

descendants, and followers had discovered

truths that were not merely subjective

products of the imagination. However, for

most of humanity, these truths that

Avraham and his followers promoted

seemed to be no more established than

competing religious notions.

In this historical context, Revelation was

revolutionary. It was the climax of

Hashems revelation of Himself before the

entire nation. This process began with the

demonstrations of His omnipotence in

Egypt. It continued with the rescue of Bnai

Yisrael from their pursuers at the Reed Seaand the drowning of Paroh and his army.

The events of Sinai were the final and most

awe-inspiring expression of Hashems

revelation. Bnai Yisraels conviction in

Hashems existence and the authenticity of

Torah was based upon their first-hand

experience.

However, this revelation that began in

Egypt and achieved its climax at Sinai was

not relevant to only Bnai Yisrael. For the

first time, humanity had been presented

with a revealed religious doctrine authenti-

cated by the testimony of an entire nation

present at its revelation. The evidence of anomnipotent Creator Who interacts with

humanity and the authentication of the

Torah as a revealed truth was directed and

relevant to all of humanity. Every human

being who heard of the wonders that

Hashem preformed in Egypt and His

revelation at Sinai was challenged to

respond to these authenticated truths.

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5. TWO RESPONSES TO REVELA-TION

Rav Soloveitchik explains that theaccount of Amaleks attack upon Bnai

Yisrael and Yitros acceptance ofHashem are inserted at this point intothe narrative in order to demonstrate

the two universal responses to themessage of the Egypt redemption andRevelation. These responses arerejection and denial or acceptance andembrasure. Amalek exemplifies thefirst response. Rather than considerthe message communicated by BnaiYisraels miraculous redemption fromEgypt and the utter destruction of theiroppressors, Amalek fled into denial.Amalek could not tolerate the messagecommunicated by redemption. Itresponded by seeking out Bnai Yisraeland acting out its fantasy of denial. It

attacked Bnai Yisrael bent uponundermining the message of redemp-tion through destroying the newlyredeemed nation.

Yitro exemplifies the alternativeresponse. Yitro understood the signifi-cance of redemption and Revelation.He understood the evidence theseprovided of an omnipotent Creator anda revealed Torah. With this realization,he came to the camp of Bnai Yisrael inorder to learn more of a truth he nowsought to embrace and make his own.2

6. RECALLING REVELATION ADOCTRINE OR A COMMANDMENT?

Rav Soloveitchiks comments provideinsight into a dispute between two great

Sages. Nachmanides maintains that weare required by a commandment of theTorah to not forget even for a moment

the episode of Revelation. We are toremain continuously aware and cognizantof the events of Sinai.3 Maimonidesdemurs. He agrees that our conviction inthe authenticity of Revelation is a funda-mental element of our religion.4 Yet, hedoes agree that this doctrine is thematerial of a specific Torah command-ment. Why does Maimonides rejectNachmanides seemingly reasonablecontention that a fundamental element ofour religion should be the subject of one ofthe Torahs commandments?

Based upon Rav Soloveitchikscomments, Revelation emerges as notmerely an important or even pivotalhistorical event. It is the distinguishing

characteristic of the Torah. It is thefoundation of the authenticity of the Torahand it differentiates Torah from othersubjective religious doctrines. Perhaps,for this reason, Maimonides contends thatconviction in the authenticity of Revela-tion cannot be the subject of a command-ment. It is the foundation of every singlecommandment. Every commandment is

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performed as an expression of our conviction in the authenticity ofRevelation. In other words, our conviction in the authenticity ofRevelation is implicit in the performance of each and everycommandment.

7. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHAVUOT AND REVELA-TION

Aruch HaShulcan suggests that for this reason the Torah does notrefer to Shavuot as the celebration of Revelation. With everycommandment that we perform, we confirm Revelation. No day isneeded to remind us of Revelation or to memorialize the event.5 It istrue that our liturgy refers to Shavuot as the time of Revelation.However, the intent is not to suggest that Shavuot memorializes ormoves us to recall Revelation. Instead, we are merely declaring thatthe anniversary of Revelation is worthy of celebration as a day of

thanksgiving.

An analogy will help communicate Aruch HaShulchans perspec-tive. A husband and wife should appreciate each other and love oneanother every day of the year. It would be ridiculous to have just a

single day of the year devoted to appreciating ones wife or husband.This appreciation should be present and expressed every day. None-theless, the date of a married couples anniversary should be specialto the husband and wife. This day is the anniversary of one of themost important events in their lives. Even though the husband andwife appreciate and cherish one another every day, this day deservesspecial acknowledgment. Similarly, we express our conviction inRevelation with every mitzvah we perform. However, Shavuot theanniversary of Revelation deserves special acknowledgment as aday of awesome significance.

According to Aruch HaShulchan, the Torah does not explicitly

refer to Shavuot as a celebration of Revelation. Such a characteriza-tion could be easily misunderstood to suggest that some commemo-rative celebration of Revelation is required rather than itscommemoration through observance of the Torahs command-

ments. Only in the liturgy is Shavuot referred to as the time ofRevelation. However, the intention in this reference is not to suggestthat our commemoration of Revelation can be relegated to a calen-dar date. The intention is to proclaim the day that is the anniversaryof Revelation as a day worthy of celebration and thanksgiving.

1. Rabbaynu Shlomo ben Yitzchak (Rashi), Commentary on Sefer Shemot 18:13.

2. These comments are based upon a recorded lecture of Rav Soloveitchik Ztl.

3. Rabbaynu Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban / Nachmanides), Critique on Maimonides Sefer HaMitzvot -- Negative Commands that Maimonides Neglected to Include.

4. Rabbaynu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Commentary on the Mishne, Mesechet Sanherin 10:1.

5. Rav Aharon HaLeyve Epstein, Aruch HaShulchan, Orech Chayim 494:2.

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With theMountainHanging

Over Them

On the Holiday of Shavuot we celebratethe most significant event in the historyof mankind, G-ds revelation to an entirenation which had gathered to witnessand hear on Mt. Sinai. Judaism is theonly religion which is not founded on

simple faith. There is no case in history ofan entire nation attesting that theywitnessed undeniably supernaturalphenomena and heard a voice fromheaven proclaiming moral and ethicalcommandments. All the other religionscannot provide any proof or evidence oftheir fundamental theological claims.

They rely on the ability of a charismaticindividual to convince others to accepthis claims without subjecting them to thetest of reason. Rationality must be putaside to make room for the demands offaith. Judaism, alone, requires that a

person use his mind, to the best of hisability to know G-d and keep His Torahbecause it is the most reasonable thing todo.

As we celebrate the magnificent eventof the Revelation we may ask, did theJews accept the Torah out of their ownfree will or were they forced to do so?There seems to be some ambivalence inthe classic sources. The story as recorded

in the Torah says that Hashem delegatedMoshe to ascertain whether they weredesirous of receiving the Torah. G-dsmessage was, that if they would acceptHis mitzvot and observe the covenantthey would then be Hashems mosttreasured nation ie. a kingdom of priestsand Holy people. In response the entirepeople told Moshe, All that Hashem hassaid we will do. It seems clear from thisthat no coercion was involved in thedecision to become the chosen nation.The benefits were spelled out by G-d andpresented to the people. It was up tothem to decide and they reactedfavorably.

There is, however, a Midrash whichappears to communicate a differentinterpretation. Commenting on the verseThey stood at the bottom of the moun-tain, the Rabbis say, It teaches that

Hashem held the mountain over themlike a barrel and said, if you accept theTorah it is fine but, if not, this will be your

burial place. This astounding statementcontradicts scripture and implies that theJews only accepted the Torah under thethreat of death. Moreover, the Rabbisteach that before giving it to the JewsHashem offered the Torah to the othernations. Each one wanted to know whatwas contained in it. Upon hearing the listof Thou Shall Nots, eg. murder, steal,commit adultery, etc. they all summarilyrefused. In contradistinction, the Jewsunconditionally accepted. What is themeaning of the strange Rabbinic teachingthat G-d threateningly held the mountain

over them?To answer this question we need tounderstand the complex nature ofhuman motivation. There is no doubt

that as scripture states the Jews commit-ted to the Torah willingly and, even,enthusiastically. No mountain hung overthem as they proclaimed their desire todo according to all that Hashem spoke.However, we must ask, what is it about

the Jews that made them so differentfrom the nations that spurned G-ds offerrefusing to relinquish their freedom tolive as they pleased? Was it because ofsome innate superiority possessed bythese descendants of the Patriarchs?There is no question that we benefitgreatly from the merit of the Fathers.The tradition of respect for learning,pursuit of justice, and practice of compas-sion have done much to shape ournational character. However all of thiswas not enough to account for ourwillingness to accept the Torah. The

Rabbis are saying that on an unconsciouslevel other factors were at work. We arenot so different from any other peoples.We possess the same instincts, desiresand lusts for worldly gratifications. Thuswe needed the mountain to be heldthreateningly over us. This means therewas an element of fear which influencedour decision. We had witnessed G-dsawesome might and His absolute control

over all that existed. The mightiestarmies of Pharaoh were reduced tohysterical, paralyzed victims at the Handof Hashem. The people then proclaimed,Hashem is a Man of War, Hashem is Hisname. They alone had recognized theabsolute might of Hashem who nowoffered to make them His people, Hischosen treasure from all the nations.This was the mountain of pressure whichhung over them. What choice did they

have? How could such an offer berefused? All generations of Jews owe adebt of gratitude to our ancestors who

stood up and said yes to Hashemsoffer. We must appreciate the great gift ofTorah and constantly strive to under-stand and cherish it. We must elevate ourDivine service from that of fear to theexalted level of love, for Hashem, HisTorah, His people and His land, EretzYisrael.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag ShavuotSameach.

RABBI REUVEN MANN

SHAVUOS

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God's justice that views the here and now

alone. Ishmael had not yet sinned. The

relative consideration of the Jews being

harmed by Ishmael in the future does not

outweigh Ishmael's absolute status at

present.

At the Reed Sea, now that Israel's enemy

Egypt was destroyed, the angels wished to

sing praises to God. Here, God says, The

works of My hand are drowned, and you

wish to sing? The relative (the Jews being

saved) is not to be valued more than the

Egyptian deaths. Now God says the abso-

lute loss of the Egyptians outweighs the

relative safety of the Jews.

We learn that Ishmael's current

innocence, an absolute truth, overrides

the relative consideration of his descen-

dant ultimately harming the Jews. God does

not punish someone who is innocent,regardless of his offspring's sin. That is

unjust. Regarding Egypt, the absolute loss of

the Egyptian army drowned is weightier

than the relative salvation of the Jews.

Although justice demands punishment of

sinners, the loss was great, not something

angels should sing about. The Jews,

however, live within the world of the relative;

the Az Yashir song was therefore appropri-

ate since God saved their lives, despite the

Egyptian deaths. Again, Moses looked

prophetically into the future before killing

the Egyptian (Yonasan ben Uzziel), perhapshe might produce a righteous descendant.

In all cases, true justice considers all

variables; what we call absolute justice.

Angels are God's means of relating to this

physical universe, from Creation and

forward. God employs angels to manage

worldly affairs, including mankind. Rav

Chaim Ozer Chait quoted Ibn Ezra who

explained that the creation of angels is to

accomplish this objective in the universe. If

this is true, then angels will value only what

is in connection with man, and God's prized

people, are the Jews. This explains why theangels favored the Jew in both cases, for it

is the Jew who is the chosen among men,

since the Jew received God's Torah so as to

teach mankind. God correcting the angels

need not be taken literally, as if there were

some discussion. What it means is that even

angels cannot possess God's absoluteunderstanding.

Haftoras BechukosaiFirst, the gentiles say their ancestors

bequeathed lies to them. This refers to those

ancestors' transmission. It was a lie. This

is a condemnation of the ancestors.

The gentiles comment further that this

transmission was futile in itself. This is an

evaluation of the content. Finally the

gentiles say the transmission does not

help. Here, the objective of the gentiles'

ancestors to bequeath a religion missed the

mark. Their religion offered no help tomankind.

The Navi adds in the next verse, Can man

make for himself a god? [In truth] it is no

god! Here, the Navi offers a perfect ridicule

of idolatry: it is man-made! What can be a

better rejection of a god that is made to help

man, when that very god required man to

make it?

Akeidas Yitzchak:Vision or Earth-boundEvent?In his Guide (p 237 Friedlander ed.)

Maimonides states that Torah accountsthat mention angels are visions, and not

Earthly occurrences. And this applies evenis the angel is only mentioned at the end.

This is sensible, since angels are notphysical beings, and man'sdialogue/interaction with them must be on

a metaphysical plane.However, Maimonides also states

Abraham's devotion to God was demon-strated through his willingness to sacrifice

his beloved son. If this sacrifice was avision, does this detract from Abraham'sperfection? I would think so. Therefore, as

Abraham was addressed by an angelduring the sacrifice, how do we make

sense of Maimonides' apparent contradic-tion?

I am wondering if the rare phrase foundtwice in the Akeida, "God's angel called,

from heaven..." are meant to distinguish theangel's calling from the rest of the event.

The rest of the event was not "b'shamayim;metaphysical." Abraham's sacrificial

attempt, his perfection, was Earthbound. Itwas only the angel's call to Abraham that

was "min hashamayim; from the heavens."This explanation preserves Abraham'sdevotion to God as a true example of

human conduct, i.e., in our waking state.This rare term of an angel "calling from

heaven" might be the vital clue thatresolves the contradiction. This clue tellsus that Abraham's entire 3-day journey to

Mt. Moriah and his attempted sacrificewere Earth bound, but the angel's 2 calls

alone were metaphysical interruptionstaking place in Abrahams mind. We

thereby maintain Abraham's perfection as

physically willing to sacrifice his belovedson.

Another clue might be Abraham'snaming of the place of this vision as "on the

mount God appeared." Meaning, "whileupon this mountain, a metaphysical event

occurred." The very naming of this "place"(makom) indicates the sacrifice was Earthbound.



THOUGHTS

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THOUGHTS

And I wonder if Abraham's "rising" (Gen.

19:27) regarding Sodom, is a similar methodTorah uses to distinguish Earthly events

from the preceding vision of Abraham and

Lote. Meaning, we are told that Abraham"rose" as in waking, to indicate here iswhere the narrative of Earth bound eventscontinue. But the prior narrative of the

angels' visiting Abraham and Lote, wereboth visions. This explanation follows

Maimonides' explanation.

Gods Distinction:Seen in the Commands

If you understand the fundamental

of the universe, then you will under-stand the principle of the firstborn,

and the tenth. And behold, Abraham

gave a tenth, as did Jacob our father

peace be upon him (Ibn Ezra, Lev.

27:34).

Ibn Ezra is hinting to the concept of a First

Cause, what he refers to as the fundamen-tal, or sode of the universe. This Cause

God is the fundamental of the universe;the existence of the world is dueexclusively to this First Cause. And this First

Cause by definition, is only one.

Ibn Ezra says the laws concerning firstborns intends to spread God's fame as theFirst Cause. Meaning, the significance of

first borns is derived from the significanceof the First Cause. Laws concerning first

borns thereby recalls God's place in theuniverse as the sole cause. First borns aresignificant, only because they partake of

the character of first, which is God'sdistinction. Thus, Torah's institution of first

borns spreads the fame of the First Cause.Abraham too wished to spread God's

fame, and did so by being charitable insums that reflect the number one, referringto God who is one, and the First Cause.

Abraham gave in tenths of his wealth. Thenumber ten is the "first" of the next scale

after the ones. 1 through 9 are multiples ofthe number 1. 10-90 are multiples of 10s.

100s and 1000s follow. But each jump in

scale still references the number one,

explaining why we write the numbers as10, 100, 1000, etc.

So when Abraham and Jacob were

charitable, they wished to express that allwealth comes from the First Cause. Thefirst, or the number 1, was reflected indonating in denominations of 1/10th of

their wealth. Ten being the first of the tensscale.

PropheticImageryGod created the world - and man - in a

physical design. Man is thereby able to

engage his senses to perceive creation, andthen use his mind to unravel the depths of

God's wisdom displayed in all he sees, and

understands. Without the universe, man

would be left with no means to sense

creation in all it's deep design, or God, which

is the goal.

Perhaps then, prophetic visions offer man

an even higher level perception of God's

wisdom. How? Perhaps, as prophetic visions

need not comply with physical laws, but can

present supernatural images, man can

thereby push the boundaries of wisdom

limited by the physical universe. Jacob, for

example, sees a ladder with angels ascend-

ing and descending, something impossible

to see in the natural universe. This extraordi-

nary vision allows Jacob to leap forward in

His knowledge of God. This is a purpose of aprophetic vision.

Why So Cryptic?Reader: Why do many Torah lessons

require careful study?

Rabbi: The Torah has many methods ofconveying ideas. Sometimes, it's through

juxtaposition. Sometimes, exaggeration. And

sometimes, as with Saul and the witch, the

Torah depicts a fantasy as a real event, in

order to stress how real it was to Saul,thereby informing us of Saul's desperation.

So why not simply teach us the law in each

case? God wants us to develop our intellec-

tual capacity. For it is the trained mind that

can see even greater insights. God wisdom

is not surface-deep. The wiser we become,

the deeper we can probe, and the more we

discover. This is how God designed the

universe and knowledge.

To help us arrive at greater understanding,

God scripted Torah verses in a manner that

require analysis. This is why He didn't simply

tell us the law.


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alleHaving established the basis for Hallel

being a different type of praise of God in perek113, as well as the various parameters andlimitations contained within such a praise, wemove along to the next perek.

This chapter begins referencing the exodusfrom Egypt (Tehillim 114):

1. When Israel left Egypt, the house of Jacob[left] a people of a strange tongue 2. Judah

became His holy nation, Israel His dominion.

We see Dovid Hamelech using some type ofadjective to describe the uniqueness of theJewish people; it is their language that serves toaccentuate the distinctiveness of the Jewishpeople. One could ask, why this particularfeature? After all, we are the nation chosen byGod to be the light unto the nations, replete

with a derech hachayim unlike any other. Why

language? No one would deny that the languaga nation speaks does create some degree odifferentiation. The answer might lie in how winitially perceive and identify a nation, rathethan its more essential defining characteritics. Imagine first arriving in a foreign country

where nobody speaks your language. Immedately, you feel like an outsider, as if you have nability to penetrate even the slightest bthrough the strange sounds and words yo

hear. That state of mind could be what thverse is highlighting. The effect of this initiassessment is one of the most powerful in iperception of a nation. While it fails tultimately reveal the inner workings of saination (the German language does not necessarily preclude anti-Semitism), it does presenthe simplest and clearest contrast.

Rabbi Dr.Darrell Ginsberg


(continued on next pa

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In the second verse, we seewhat would seem to be afurther description of theJewish people, as well as sometype of relationship beingestablished with God. TheRedak looks at the verse ascomposed of two parts. The

first, referring to the holynation, means that God tookthe Jewish people from impure(tameh) to sanctified (kadosh).The second adds that the Jews

became a sovereign people, nolonger under the rule of theEgyptians. However, thisindependence is in realitysubject to the permission ofGod. What point is the Redakmaking here? Why is theirpotential sovereignty such animportant issue? It would seemDovid Hamelech is highlight-

ing two pivotal features in thetransformation of the nation.The first involves the philo-sophical move from tameh tokadosh, a nation now guided bythe derech Hashem. This gavethe Jewish people a completelynew identity. The second,though, involves an equallyimportant change, albeit

within the psychologicalcomposition of the nation. It

would be impossible for thephilosophical transformationto take hold if the Jewishpeople were still beholden toanother nation. They needed to

be independent, to break freefrom their psychological shack-les, in order to truly accepttheir new status as an amkadosh. This is expressed withthe institution of their newgovernment.

There is another small differ-entiation noted by the Redak inthis verse. In the first half, theJews are referred to asYehuda, whereas in thesecond the term Yisrael isused. He explains that at the

time of the exodus from Egypt,the tribe of Yehuda stood outfrom the rest of the Jewishpeople, as they were the naturalleaders. They travelled in thefront, and the Midrash explainsthat the nasi of Yehuda was thefirst to jump into Yam Suf. Thistribe set the precedent of therest of the Jewish people tofollow; therefore, the term

kadosh is used to referencethem. Furthermore, he writesthat they took the lead inkiddush Hashem, warrantingtheir identification as kadosh.The idea the Redak presentsabout Yehuda isself-explanatory. However,there is one subtle inference we

can gather from his point.Without question, God trans-formed the Jewish peoplethrough the exodus fromEgypt. However, this does notmean that the ideas God was to

bring forth were not alreadyexistent to some degree amongindividuals within the nationitself. The idea of the sanctifica-tion of God was present in thetribe of Yehuda, demonstratingthat individuals capable ofachieving high levels of insightsinto God prior to the exodus.

The next set of verses demon-strate a transition:

3. The sea saw and fled; theJordan turned backward 4. Themountains danced like rams,hills like young sheep 5. Whatfrightens you, O sea, that youflee? O Jordan, that you turn

backward? 6. You mountains,that you dance like rams; youhills, like young sheep? 7. From

before the Master, Who createdthe earth, from before the Godof Jacob 8. Who transforms therock into a pond of water, theflint into a fountain of water

We see a number of interest-ing questions emerge fromthese verses. First of all, thereis the vivid imagery being usedhere, with dancing mountainsand fleeing seas. Is this merelya literary tool? We also see astrange question, what fright-ens you what is beingasked here? What is theanswer? And then we have the

final verse, another praise ofGods might, which seems to beadding no more than the first

verses.The Redak picks up on these

issues. He points out theobvious use of mashal,describing the splitting of water

by Yam Suf and the Yarden as if

the water was running awayout of fear. The mountainsreferenced here refer to thosenear Har Sinai at the time ofthe giving of the Torah. Theyshook as the Divine Revela-tion took place. Clearly, theseare referring to great miracu-lous events performed by God,demonstrations of hashgachasHashem. What then is thequestion being asked in thefifth verse?

The occurrence of a miracle isnot merely about the super-natural; it is an opportunity to

be introduced to new ideasabout God. The miracles of

Yam Suf and Har Sinai wereevents of just such a nature.The Jewish people now had apath open to inquiry and inves-tigation. The question of whatfrightens, though, is thenatural outgrowth of just sucha quest for knowledge. Is itpossible to understand to somedegree how these miraclescome about? Can we, in a sense,ask why this miracle at thisparticular time in this particu-

lar manner? We desire to knowmore about God and His ways.How much further can we go?The answer is the natural worldoperates by the will of God. Asthe Redak later writes:

He is the Master over all,acts in line with His will, and ifHe wants the sons of Yaakov tocross the sea or the Yarden,they (meaning the waters) flee

and the waters split, as He isthe Master.

We can never know therationale behind Gods will,

what motivates Him. God is notsubject to motivation, and His

will is something that we cannever predict or intuit. Yes, we

can be recipients of Hismiracles, and therefore gain inideas about God. But we cannotgo further than this.

We now turn to the last verse,which ends with an evenstarker contrast between Godand us. The miracles citedearlier were events that demon-strated Gods control over thenatural world. And we also nowunderstand how our knowl-edge predicating these events isan impossibility. We are thentold how God can perform even

greater miracles. What is thisadding? The Redak explainsthat just like God can turn the

wet to dry (meaning splittingthe sea), He can turn the dry to

wet, such as bringing waterfrom a rock. What this demon-strates is how little we canactually understand aboutGods actions. To us, each oneof these miracles is a differentphenomenon. However, thereis no such difference whenspeaking within the realm ofGod. We are not to think thatthere is some type of differentplan or effort involved whenspeaking of miracle A or B. Thisis a critical idea in how we viewhashgachas Hashem, andserves to ensure we understandour inherent limitations inunderstanding Gods ways.

Taking a step back, we cansee the overall thematic flow inthis chapter of Tehillim. We seean evolution taking place here.First, there is the exodus fromEgypt and subsequent creationof the nation. What activitydoes this nation engage in? We

come to praise God, to recog-nize His greatness. How were

we first introduced to God?Through the medium ofmiracles. That system ofknowledge served then, andstill does today, as a primarymethod of engaging in yediyasHashem. Thus, the praise ofHallel emerges from thissystem of hashgacha.

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